Weekend tech reading: Jason Rubin on THQ's final days

Interview: Jason Rubin talks about THQ's struggles and final days When Jason Rubin joined THQ less than a year ago, he was brought in to help the company with his years of experience crafting excellent games with Naughty Dog. Unfortunately, THQ could not be saved, leaving Rubin and the company with the difficult task of assessing options, filing for bankruptcy, and ultimately selling off the company's assets. In a candid interview, Rubin talks about his stewardship of the company and his firm belief that gamers will be blown away by some of the great titles THQ had waiting in the wings. Game Informer

Samsung's road to global domination To understand how Samsung -- yes, Samsung -- became America's No. 1 mobile phonemaker and thorn in Apple's side, it's helpful to rewind to last fall. On a mid-September morning, Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook stepped onto a stage in San Francisco to unveil the iPhone 5. Several hundred miles away, in a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Los Angeles, a group of marketing executives from Samsung Electronics followed real-time reactions to Cook's remarks. They huddled around tables mounted with laptops and TV screens... Fortune

In Swartz protest, Anon hacks U.S. site, threatens leaks In response to the death of tech activist Aaron Swartz, hacktivist collective Anonymous hacked a U.S. government Web site related to the justice system and posted a screed saying it would begin leaking a cache of government documents if the justice system is not reformed. The group hacked the Web site for the United States Sentencing Commission late Friday, posting a message about what it's calling "Operation Last Resort," along with a set of downloadable encrypted files it said contain sensitive information. CNET

New video codec to ease pressure on global networks A new video coding standard building on the PrimeTime Emmy award winning ITU-T H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC was agreed by ITU members today. The new codec will considerably ease the burden on global networks where, by some estimates, video accounts for more than half of bandwidth use. The new standard, known informally as 'High Efficiency Video Coding' (HEVC) will need only half the bit rate of its predecessor, ITU-T H.264 / MPEG-4 Part 10 'Advanced Video Coding' (AVC)... ITU

Game of foam: 500 mages, orcs, and warriors get medieval in a Maryland state park On a cool Sunday morning in November, I found myself heading south from Baltimore with three warriors from the nascent nation of Asaheim, their swords, spears, and banner stashed beside them in my minivan. War was brewing, and as we drove, they discussed battle plans and the revenge they would take on a particularly bothersome foe. But before they could unleash hell upon their opponents, I was told, we needed to make a quick stop. Ars Technica

How Apple can make the iPhone king again Shortly after the launch of the original iPhone in 2007, it was clear that Apple had a certifiable hit on its hands. It was the first smartphone that earned the name — the first mobile device that could put a smile on your face just by doing is job. But more recently the news has brought stories of production cuts and muted reactions to new devices. The iPhone is still a great phone, but little by little those smiles from 2007 are going away. Let’s take a look at how Apple can turn that frown upside down. ExtremeTech

Redesigning Google: how Larry Page engineered a beautiful revolution Something strange and remarkable started happening at Google immediately after Larry Page took full control as CEO in 2011: it started designing good-looking apps. Great design is not something anybody has traditionally expected from Google. Infamously, the company used to focus on A/B testing tiny, incremental changes like 41 different shades of blue for links instead of trusting its designers to create and execute on an overall vision. The Verge

'Quantum copyright:' at what point does a legal copy become infringement? Laws in general aren't known for their clarity, hence the need for lawyers to rack up billable hours searching for loopholes to exploit or to try to bend them to fit the case at hand. Copyright laws, while less tangled than the infamous "Patent Thicket, " are no straightforward walk in the park, either. Eric Hellman tackles the ambiguous nature of copyright infringement, especially as it pertains to the "region-free" aspects of the internet... TechDirt

Attacking the Windows 7/8 address space randomization The following text is what looks like an attempt to circumvent Windows 7 and Windows 8 memory protections in order to execute arbritrary assembly code. The presented methods are in particular useful for client-side attacks as used for example in browser exploits. The topic that is discussed is a very complex one. At the time I started the research I thought the idea behind the attack will be applied to real-world scenarios quick and easy. Kingcope

In search of the heart of Bungie Polygon spends a day with the reclusive developers of Halo and the upcoming Destiny. Pete Parsons is giving the tour. As chief operating officer of Bungie, it's one of his semi-official responsibilities. We're told he's the best at it. Parsons shows us the two massive trophy walls, filled with awards from over 20 years of game-making. The glass-encased shelving is built into separate walls, divided by a corner. Each is more than 30 feet from end-to-end, more than 10 feet high. Polygon

Stanford again offering iPhone app development course free on iTunes U Stanford University is again offering the iOS 6 edition of Paul Hegarty's well-regarded iPhone and iPad application development course free on iTunes U. This year, Stanford is running the course on Stanford's Piazza collaboration platform -- the same social learning service that Stanford students use -- as well as iTunes U. This setup allows students to assist each other and get more from the class. MacRumors

Unlocking your new smartphone is now illegal: what you need to know As of today, it is illegal to unlock your new smartphone. This rule, issued by the Librarian of Congress in October, is seen by many as a slap in the face of consumers who wish to do what they want, when they want, with the devices they own. But there are a few silver linings in this dark cloud. Here, we’ll answer all the pertinent questions about the new no-unlock rule. Digital Trends

Internet Explorer ad tugs at heartstrings of Gen-Y users Whether you love or hate Internet Explorer, you've got to admit that some of its ads are pretty good. Microsoft's latest IE ad, dubbed “Child of the 90s,” tries to appeal to people who remember the web browser at its worst. The video shows snapshots of passing 1990s fads, such as Slap Wraps and Pogs. Meanwhile, a narrator describes how things were different back then. PCWorld